Now for the hard part

Ganked from the Gear School blog:

I have received word from everyone to whom I sent the Gear School outline: The word is "go."

I would like very much to have this script written before the arrival of The Sprout on the 28th of April, so I think I'm going to need to put my head down and really focus. That could mean a scarcity of posts here for a little while. Again.

This sort of reminds me of writing the script for the first volume, actually. In that case, I had about a month to write the script before I got married and went off on my honeymoon. I manged it with a couple of days to spare. Maybe I'll manage t this time, too.

Wish me luck.

Good news, bad news

There was a good question left in the comments yesterday by a reader named Jeff. He asked:

I see (on the Comic Con web site) there is a portfolio review for artists and there is lots of detail on the web about that, but I see nothing for a review for writers. Is there someplace at the con a writer can go to drop off his two hopefully interesting sample scripts?

Here's the bad news about cons and writers, Jeff: No one is going to want to read your script. Lot's of editors are willing to review art because it takes just a few minutes and you can do it while being half-distracted by the show, but no editor can take the time out of a show and devote themselves to reading your script. Also, no editor will want to take your script from you and lug it back to their offices with them.

So, here's the good news: save the money you were going to spend to run off copies of the script, and save your back because you won't be lugging all of those scripts around with you.

Rather than trying to get your script in editor's hands, what you want to do is hook up with an artist, or artists. You want to work up a pitch document (a one-page synopsis, some sample art from your artist(s), and a sample of the script. You will not be able to get all of this together before this year's show, and that's okay. Here's what you will do at this year's show: you will met potential editors with whom you would like to work. Introduce yourself, be nice, ask good questions about what thy might be looking for. In this way, you can build a list of editors to whom you would like to send your pitch once you have it finished. And every editor you approach will be wondering while they talk to you whether you are just being social or if you want to get work out of them. I think it's okay to tell them that you might like work from them in the future. You might even talk to them about your idea, but don't mention to them that you happen to have a copy of the script with you, etc.

As a writer myself, I realize how much it sucks that you cannot use the con in the same way as an artist, but you can still use it.

Appearances of note

Despite the quickly approaching arrival of the Sprout, I am still planning on making some appearances in support of my comics. Here's what's in the hopper as of this moment:

Portland Comic Book Show
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Memorial Coliseum
Portland, OR, 97227
Show website
I'm a featured guest at this show -- the first ever, so it should be fun.

Free Comic Book Day
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Danger Zone Comics
1326 State Street
Salem, OR, 97301
(503) 364-7980
I'll be giving away copies of the Arcana FCBD comic (which has a new 100 Girls story in it) and selling a slew of other stuff for your reading edification.

Comic Con International
Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, 2008
Preview night Wednesday, July 23, 2008
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA 92101
Show website
The big daddy of comics conventions; this will be my tenth year attending and the first where I actually get a table. Come down and say hi to me (and Todd, too!) and buy me a drink. I'll need one.

My being at the first two shows is dependent on my wife not being in labor on those dates, but I'm going to do my damnedest to be there.

Picture time!

After a long absence from Flickr, I posted a bunch of photos there, in case you're interested.

The first group is a series of photos showing the growth of our still-unnamed baby, The Sprout. Stare in amazement as Melissa's belly grows to awe-inspiring proportions!






The second group chronicles the creation of a mural in The Sprout's nursery. This week, some friends of ours, TM and Katie, have been staying with us and one of the gifts they gave us was said mural, painted by Katie. It's a lovely bit of work and something we'll be happy to share with the Sprout for years to come.

Truth, Justice, Finally

Via Heidi MacDonald's The Beat: Earlier this week a judge awarded the heirs of Jerry Siegel copyright for material printed in the historic Action Comics #1. Jeff Trexler's blog, Uncivil Society (which I think will quickly become required reading for me) has commentary and links aplenty.

Here's the meat of the decision:

After seventy years, Jerome Siegel’s heirs regain what he granted so long ago – the copyright in the Superman material that was published in Action Comics Vol. 1. What remains is an apportionment of profits, guided in some measure by the rulings contained in this Order, and a trial on whether to include the profits generated by DC Comics’ corporate sibling’s exploitation of the Superman copyright.

This corrects one of the greatest injustices in comics history. Siegel and his partner, Joe Schuster were paid $300 for the rights to Superman by National Publications, which later became DC Comics. They were kept on the book for a while, and found piece work on other publications. And then they were largely forgotten. Remember, this was a time when it was common for a creator's paycheck from a big publisher to have a work-made-for-hire agreement on the back. Which meant that in order to cash the check, an artist would have to sign over their creation to the publisher.

This decision is incomplete (the ruling judge specifies only Action Comics #1), but it is an important first step in the Siegls' fight.

The Thermals, part 2 of Infinity

I've written here before of my love for The Thermals. I am not alone, apparently. Current.com have produced a short intro to the band that I liked a bit.

Enjoy.

Productive

More busy-ness at stately Kreutz Gallardo manor. Melissa and I are rushing (in relative terms) to get the house ready for the arrival of the Sprout. To that end, we've had a bit of help. Over the weekend, my brother and his family and Melissa's dad and grand-dad all came over and helped out with various projects. The degree to which these people rock cannot be overstated. My brother and I put together the new wardrobe from Ikea and mounted it to the wall (I say "and I" but really I was relegated to fetching tool and holding things when asked -- this is the same role I assumed whenever I "helped" my dad with some project). My sister-in-law and her kids helped Melissa organize the basement and Melissa's male forebearers fixed our leaky tub faucet and raked the yard. Man.

And we kept going after they all left, too. We washed the walls in the baby's room, and I taped it up and did a coat of primer and a first coat of paint.

Besides that, I finally finished the full outline on the second volume of Gear School and shipped it off to all the parties involved. Now I await their comments and will hopefully move onto the script soon. My goal had been to have it written by the time the Sprout made his debut, but I don't know if that'll happen. I'll still shoot for it, however.

And to top it all off, the Hollywood thing I mentioned a couple of weeks ago has still not resolved itself which means I get to expend enormous amounts of mental energy on that despite the fact that I can't effect the outcome.

I need to lay down.